I do not know what lands are being discussed here, but the guy in question is from Montana of which the vast majority was a part of the Louisiana Purchase. I own such land, my ancestors homesteaded it.
This land NEVER BELONGED TO THE STATES IN THE FIRST PLACE.
The Louisiana Purchase lands never belonged to any state in the first place because no states existed on those lands before the federal government bought the land from France.
Such lands were surveyed according to the PLLS system and were opened to homesteading. Territories were organized then subdivided into states that requested entry into the union.
Any lands never homesteaded were retained by the federal government.
This notion of giving lands back to the states is really a very ignorant position. Giving it back to the Indians makes sense, giving it back to the French or Spanish makes sense (a poor idea though), but giving it back to the Feds is just plane dumb. This applies only to lands either bought or seized by the feds before such lands were states.
BTW, I agree with the idea that all lands within a states border should belong to the state, with exception of military bases and a few government offices. Even federal parks and refuges would be better managed by states.
The same was true of the Northwest Territories (Ohio, Illinois, etc.) but the land was returned to them nonetheless.
Not in CALIFORNICATION they won’t.
At least in my state I say let the feds keep it.
If this state ended up with all federal lands you could kiss any hunting, fishing, rock hunting, or any other recreation good by.
California will GIVE it to the Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, and the rest of the ENVIRONAZIS.